The Moon and Star
by curlyandforks
Summary: Remus and Sirius meet on their first day at Hogwarts, and are inseparable from then on. They find their paths alongside Peter Pettigrew, James Potter and Lily Evans. Was it destiny that the young wolf and star should meet? Wolfstar/ Marauders fanfic
1. Chapter 1

The Moon and Star

Chapter One

Remus

I shook in my battered boots as I stared up at the magnificent Hogwarts Express, my father's hand on my shoulder.

"It'll be alright, son. Dumbledore will take care for you." He said, softly pushing me towards the train. I stepped through the doorway, closed the hatch and turned to look at the man named Lyall Lupin who stood waving on the platform as the train began to chug away to it's destination: Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

I sat alone in a dark compartment, my father's previous words ringing in my ears: _It's not your fault you're different. Try your best, my boy. You don't have to stay if you can't._

That's exactly what I was afraid of. That I would not be able to stay at Hogwarts because of my… condition. But I wanted to learn. I wanted to learn so badly that I would jeopardise my secrecy and overall safety for it. I was going for education, not friendship. If I did not make a single friend in all my seven years at school, I wouldn't mind as long as I got as many N.E.W.T.S as I needed to succeed in life.

I sat in silence for the whole journey. Was this what it was going to be like every year? Eventually, I caught a glimpse of the castle through the shallow window. My eyes widened in wonder; the tips of the tall turrets were lost in the fluffy clouds above; the grounds were extensive and the lake blue and glimmering. I found myself in anticipation of finally seeing the inside of the beautiful building.

Once we had disembarked from the slim boats with which we had got across the lake, I shivered with anticipation. We were lead up the steep stone staircases towards the famous Great Hall my father had told me about. The large oaken doors gave only a slight inclination of what lay behind them; as the serious looking Professor McGonagall pulled open the huge doors, gasps emitted from those surrounding me. A loud laugh echoed from the back of he crowd of first years, which was hurriedly shushed. I turned to see two messy-haired boys surprising laughter behind a short, frightened looking boy who seemed to shrink into his robes when he saw me looking at him. I hastily looked back to the front, and we all began to stumbled forward into the hall.

Sirius

Sorting. The best part, my family told me. If I wasn't in Gryffindor, I'd eat my hat.

"Hey, James." I whispered.

"Yeh?" The bespectacled boy next to me whispered in return.

"What house d'you second you'll be sorted into?"

"Gryffindor, o'course!" He chuckled, turning his attention back to the Sorting.

"James Potter?" the harsh Scottish voice of McGonagall called out. James struggled to the front and plonked himself down on the three-legged stool, a smirk on his face.

"Hmm… very interesting… plenty of courage, I see," The Sorting Hat had began to speak as it sat upon his head, "You have a long way to go, young man… GRYFFINDOR!" The hat shouted. The table to my left cheered uproariously, as James sauntered over and sat down. He caught my eye and winked; it was then that I began to feel nerves over which house I would be sorted into.

"Sirius Back?"

I took a deep breath and strode up to the platform, sitting myself down on the stool.

"Well…" the hat began as it was placed on my head. My eyes locked with James' once again, and we seemed to share a terrified thought. "You seem clever… yes, very cunning… you would do well in Slytherin but… RAVENCLAW!" Ok, then; my mind worked quickly. How to get myself out of this one. I smirked, and walked over to the Gryffindor table. The hat spluttered,

"I-I said Ravenclaw, boy."

"Oh, I no speak English, I stay here at lion table." I said, imitating a Latino accent. The hat chuckled,

"I take it back, Minerva," It whispered to McGonagall, "Definitely a Gryffindor."

James

Oh thank Merlin for Sirius' quick mind! Oh how lucky I was to have scored a friend like him. I smiled to myself, and my smile widened even further as a feast appeared before us. A young freckled Irish girl squealed and dug into a large pot of beef stew.

"Siobhan." She said with a smile. "What're your names?"

"Sirius," my tangle-haired chum grinned through a mouthful of garlic bread, "A pleasure to meet you."

"James, James Potter." I said graciously, "Lovely to meet you, Syoban." She giggled.

"No, silly, it's said like shi-vawn." She did have a lovely laugh, but then the sight of the girl sitting next to her was even lovelier. Light auburn hair falling in curling locks down her back. Her hazel eyes glanced up to meet mine, and I shuddered slightly. _How beautiful they were._ Siobham]n had seen my eyes wandering and turned to her friend.

"This is Lily. Lily, this is James," she said, indicating to me, "And Sirius." Sirius waved absent-mindedly his eyes on a small, pale boy sitting diagonally to us, picking at his food.

"Hey!" Sirius shouted. The boy jumped, and his fork clattered onto his plate.

"Y-Yes?" he replied, terror etched on his face. Sirius smiled gently,

"It's alright, mate, I was just wondering your name. We're fellow Gryffindors now, aren't we? We ought to be acquainted." The boy straightened slightly, and drew in a deep breath.

"I'm Remus Lupin," he said quietly, "I didn't catch your name?"

"Sirius Black. Lovely to meet you, Remus." He said happily. Remus' face relaxed as he smiled. I grinned back at him before Sirius jumped on me from behind, yelling,

"I'VE GOT YOU, YOU CAN'T GET AWAY FROM MEEEEE!" Laughing hysterically, and forgot all about Remus as I fought to reclaim the right of my back.

We only lay down to sleep when the early hours of the morning were peeking around the clock hand; Remus had taken the bed by the door, furthest from the rest of us. I had bagged the one by the window before Sirius could, and he had grudgingly taken the bed next to mine. A small, scrawny boy named Peter Pettigrew had taken the bed on my other side, furthest from Remus. Sirius brightened slightly when he realised he would be sleeping nearest to the boy with the scarred face and golden heart.


	2. Chapter 2

The Moon and Star

Chapter Two

Remus

My first day at Hogwarts is a day I will never forget for as long as I live. I had woken late, and was surprised and overjoyed to find the other three boys dressed and sitting on the floor, watching me, waiting.

I walked down to the Great Hall alongside Sirius, who still seemed a little wary of me. I couldn't blame him; I was wary of him too. All of them, actually. If anyone found out… it wasn't worth thinking about. I sat next to Peter opposite Sirius and James who were studying everyone as if trying to find someone to pick on. I shrunk into my seat, but sat bold upright when I overheard a Slytherin behind me saying,

"If I lay eyes on one more mudblood, I might as well die!" A blonde haired snob was laughing with his many friends. I couldn't help it.

"If you really had a serious problem with a select portion of the Wizarding community, namely, the muggle-borns, I highly doubt you would have come to Hogwarts. Another thing I highly doubt is that Hogwarts can do anything at all for your exceedingly tiny mind, you giant, blonde prick, so you might as well go home now." I turned back around to face Sirius and James to see them exchanging excited glances, looks of triumph on their faces.

"We've found another one, James! Another Marauder!" Sirius was whispering joyously at James, who had an equally smug look on his face. _Another what?_ I thought to myself, a frown creasing my eyebrows. James glanced at me, and seeing my confused expression, said,

"We'll tell you about it later, mate." Grinning at me, he turned back to his food.

Sirius

We bounded up the stairs back to the common room to grab our bags before lessons started. The moment we got through the door, James and I rounded on Remus and I took him by the shoulders, staring into his eyes.

"Remus. You possess the exact qualities we were looking for. We are now giving you the chance to become…" he paused for dramatic effect… "A Marauder." I waited for his reaction, but none came; Remus' face was impassive, giving nothing away. I shook him gently.

"Remus? Remus, a Marauder! Ok, Ok. The Marauders are a group we have created of our closest friends only, and we have chosen you." I smiled at him. One minute I was holding him by the shoulders, the next his thin arms were around me, holding me tightly. It took me a moment to recover, but I slowly wrapped my significantly thicker arms around the other boy, now knowing what I had given him. He suddenly leapt back, his cheeks red.

"I-I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me." Remus stuttered. I grinned, and walked over to him, taking him in my arms once again. He tensed, but then relaxed, just as I had done.

I had just made a friend; little did I know, Remus Lupin was a friend that would stay with me for a long time.

The next time we all came into contact with that particular 'blonde-haired snob' was a month later in the Potions dungeon, as Remus, James and I were on the lookout for our fourth and final Marauder; the one to complete the pack. I kept glancing worriedly at Remus; he was looking particularly haggard and tired that day. I nudged him lightly and he almost fell off his seat.

"Hey, Remus, you okay?" I asked, pulling him back up.

"Y-Yeh, I'm fine, Sirius." He said, scrubbing his eyes with the back of his hand. As he turned his head, I noticed a bloodied cut running from just under Remus' chin down under his collar. It looked as if it had been cleaned, but blood had begun to seep out of the wound once more.

"Remus! You're hurt!" I exclaimed. His hand flew up to his neck.

"It's nothing." He muttered.

"Did someone do that to you? Whoever it was, I'm going to kill them." I snarled. Remus chuckled mirthlessly.

"Well, I sincerely hope you won't, Sirius." He said, turning back to his cauldron. A frown creased my brow, but I let it go.

James

Potions. My worse subject. At least I could spend it with my best friends in the world… and it was the best opportunity to waste time looking for the fourth and final Marauder, of course.

I was almost falling asleep in my seat when I had what was possibly the best idea of my entire life. I earned a glare from the professor as I almost fell off my chair. Muttering my apologies, I excitedly caught Sirius' eye. I mouthed at him,

" _Peter!"_ Sirius frowned at me, and I could tell he wasn't impressed.

" _What, the other boy in our dorm?"_ He mouthed back at me.

" _Yeah!"_ I replied, eyeing the back of the strict professor every few seconds. _"He would be the perfect person to cover for us if we were… well, breaking the rules!"_ Sirius' frown slowly evaporated, and a mischievous understanding was alight in his eyes.

 _"Yes!"_ He mouthed.

Straight after a lunch of Sirius fussing over Remus like a concerned grandmother, we all hurried up to the dormitory. W found Peter in the common room, reading.

"Let's not interrupt him." Remus said, smiling. "He's reading, can't you see?"

Sirius and I ran forward anyway, grabbed the terrified-looking boy and dragged him up to the dorm. Remus followed grudgingly, but good-naturedly.

After the door was shut, and Peter was corned, we began to explain to him exactly what we had in mind for him. His terrified expression disappeared, and soon enough we were thinking up what our first prank should be as the Marauders.

"This will be our Hogwarts family, just us four. We will be unstoppable, and no one will break us apart. D'you understand me, Remus?" Sirius said, looking softly at the speechless boy beside him. Nudging him gently with hid shoulder, Sirius stood with Remus, and Peter and I followed suit.

"Come on guys," I said joyfully, "Lets go to Transfiguration."


	3. Chapter 3

The Moon and Star

Chapter Three

Remus

It was almost the end of my first term in Hogwarts. Four successful months; each one more tiring than the last. Each time _it_ came around, a feeling of dread washed over me. It felt as if I was drowning, each and every time. _Every single time… every…_

"You alright, Remus?" Sirius' scared blue eyes bore into mine, concern etched over his face.

"Yeah, I was just… just… thinking…" I muttered, frowning into my Herbology essay.

"Hey, Remus? You… you can tell me anything, you know that? I know we haven't known each other long, but… I just feel close to you already, you know?" My heart soared, then soured. I knew it wasn't a good thing for Sirius to care about me, however much I wanted it. I needed to tell him.

"Sirius, I… we can't be friends anymore." The hurt on his face broke my heart. I steeled myself against my own emotions and stood up sharply, and begun to walk away.

"But…" Sirius' weak voice stopped me in my tracks. "Why, Remus, I… I thought you wanted friends."

"I do." I muttered. "I really do but… it's not safe." I said over my shoulder, then turned and ran into the dormitory to be alone with my own thoughts; the main one being…. _it's nearly here._

Later that night, I was lying in my bed, facing the wall, when a soft creaking stirred me. My ears pricked up; there was someone in the dormitory.

"What d'you think, James? What's he not telling us?" Sirius was whispering.

"I don't know, Sirius. I don't know how he got those scars; I don't know where he goes each month; I don't know why he told you he didn't want to be our friend anymore. He…he's different, Sirius. I know it."

James

The next few days were awkward, to say the least. Each morning when Sirius, Peter and I woke up, Remus was already gone. One day however, he left the dorm in the morning, but did not return in the evening.

We hurried to see Professor McGonagall, fearing the worst - we were overdramatic eleven-year-olds after all.

"Professor, I know it's late but we haven't seen Remus all day and he isn't in the dorm or the common room, and we… we're worried, Professor." Sirius muttered in a steady crescendo, looking up at McGonagall with, to my surprise, tears in his eyes.

"You're… worried about him? Remus, Remus Lupin?"

"Yes, do you know where he is, Professor?" I said, patting Sirius comfortingly on the shoulder.

"Yes, he… well, you can come and see him in the hospital wing tomorrow morning." Sirius blanched, and a tear slipped down his cheek.

"The… the hospital wing? No…" Sirius ran to the door, a determined but frightened expression on his young face.

"Mr. Black," McGonagall said softly, kindly, "Remus is not there at present." Sirius stopped so quickly he almost tripped over his own feet. He turned rapidly, and dashed back to us.

"What do you mean, Professor?" I inquired; Sirius was too shell-shocked to speak.

"Oh, believe me, Potter," Professor McGonagall sighed, her eyes to the ground, "I know that Mr. Lupin will, most unfortunately, be in the hospital wing by morning. I will meet you there at nine o'clock." It was a clear dismissal.

"It'll be alright, Sirius, I'm sure he'll be ok." I murmured as we entered the silent homeliness of the Gryffindor common room.

"How do you know?" Sirius wailed as he flung himself into a thick armchair. "Where is he, James? He could be dead for all we know!"

"I know, Sirius." I said softly, kneeling beside him as he cried. "I'll come with you tomorrow, ok? We can make sure he's alright together." He snuffled quietly, then nodded. Sirius stood shakily, and led himself off to the dorm.

"Why do you think he's so attached to Remus already?" Peter asked quietly. I jumped; I had been thinking about everything I had learnt about Remus Lupin in the short time I had known him. He was quiet, shy; he always seemed to know when you were down; he always knew how to cheer you up in his own little ways; he was modest, and unusually grateful for the smallest of things; he was embarrassed of his scarred skin, and didn't see how Sirius drank in his features when he was looking the opposite way; how he relished in Remus' smiles and laughter, and noticed how rare they were.

"He finds him fascinating," I whispered, "He feels a connection to him, like he doesn't to us. I mean, we're his best friends, and so is Remus, but he feels differently towards him. I just know it."

Sirius

That night was the longest of my life, even longer than my very first in Hogwarts. Remus hadn't entered the dorm during the night; McGonagall was right.

As soon as the clock read 8:30, I couldn't wait any longer. I got out of bed, fully dressed, and put my shoes on. James, who had obviously been waiting too, stood too, and followed me out of the room when we were done.

We ran the last few meters to the hospital wing, and shoved open the door. Professor McGonagall was standing in the centre of the room, looking concerned.

"Ah, Mr. Black, Mr. Potter. I imagined you would be early. I am afraid to say my predictions were correct." McGonagall gestured towards a still figure in the bed to her left. "I think Mr. Lupin is too tired to talk at the moment, but you can see him if you wish." I didn't need to hear any more than that. I ran towards the bed to which McGonagall had gestured, but promptly stopped in my tracks, and swayed slightly where I stood. Madam Pomfrey rushed forward from where she was finishing tending another patient.

"Perhaps you should sit, Sirius." She said consolingly, taking my arm and guiding me into the seat beside where Remus lay, swathed in bandages, a cold sweat settled over his brow. He had bloody slashed running under his right eye, over his nose, and finishing by his chin. I found a tear gathering in my eye. I swiftly wiped it away, and returned my gaze to Remus. He sniffled slightly in his sleep, and wrestled an arm out from under the blankets, settling his hand just about his heart. I laughed softly through my tears, gazing down at Remus' slumbering face.

"What… what happened t-to him?" I said, looking up at Professor McGonagall, who was running her concerned, motherly eyes over Remus' scarred face. She glanced up at me, remorse written over her features.

"He… I'm sure he will tell you in due time, Sirius. It is not my tale to tell." She breathed. "Mr. Lupin needs his rest, boys. You may return tomorrow at the same time."

"Thank you, Professor." James said. I jumped; I had forgotten he was there.

"Professor?" I murmured. She turned back to me.

"Yes, Sirius?"

"Can… can I stay a few minutes? Just to talk to him alone for a minute?"

"Yes, yes, of course." McGonagall said, her eyes glistening. She and James left the hospital wing; James looked back at me, concern in his eyes. I smiled shakily at him to attempt reassurance. I'm not sure I was particularly convincing. I looked at Remus, his false peacefulness almost fooling me, but not quite.

"Oh, Remus, what are you hiding from me?"


	4. Chapter 4

The Moon and Star

Chapter Four

Remus

 _Ugh._ Everything felt bruised as I gingerly sat up in bed. That was probably one of the worse full moons yet, and I'd already had my fair share of them. Groggily, I opened my eyes and almost jumped out of my skin when I saw Sirius sitting in the chair next to the bed. After I had regained my composure, I looked closely at him, noticing hat he was in fact sleeping. He looked a little worse for wear too; hair messier than usual, bags under his eyes. The bed creaked as I moved, and Sirius woke slowly, frowning slightly before opening his eyes.

"You're awake." He murmured, peer ing at me from beneath his lowered lashes.

"As are you." I laughed, hissing when my ribs screamed in protest. Sirius immediately called for Madam Pomfrey, looking very much awake now. "I'm fine." I muttered, turning away from him to hide what I knew was plain on my face.

"No, you're not." He said stubbornly, an expression of determined concern on his face. Madam Pomfrey scurried over, a bottle of something foul-smelling in her hand.

"Healing potion, that's what you need, lad." She said happily, wafting it under my nose. I recoiled, scrunching up my nose. I immediately regretted it; I gasped and searched for a mirror. Sirius handed me one sadly. I almost dropped it when I saw my face. Long cuts running all across my face, alongside the single one I had acquired the previous month.

"Come on, boy, they'll _all_ scar if you don't put this on." She said comfortingly, skating the potion bottle at me. I looked up at her in despair.

"What do you mean, all?" I asked, my voice shaking. She looked at her feet, taking deep breaths.

"Well, dear… there are a couple rather severe cuts you've got there. There are some things not even magic can heal." She murmured kindly, giving me a knowing look. Madam Pomfrey handed the bottle to Sirius along with a pack of cotton pads, and told him to get on with it. Chuckling, she told me to remove my shirt and lie on my front. I reluctantly obliged, and Sirius began to apply the liquid to my back. It stung fiercely for a moment; the muscles in my back tensed, and Sirius sucked in a breath, but then the potion became cool and gel-like. I relaxed and expelled the breath I hadn't realised I was holding, and Sirius did the same. We continued like that for a few minutes before Madam Pomfrey returned and told me to turn over. I did, and was alarmed at how flustered Sirius looked.

Sirius

Wow. He wasn't as scrawny as I'd first thought, that was for sure.

I continued to apply the healing potion to his already scarred stomach and chest, something that made my face grow warm. When I had finished, I began to gently dab the liquid onto Remus' face, which he scrunched up in pain when it came into contact with his skin. I couldn't help it. I began to sing the song that my grandmother had always sung to me as a child when I was upset.

 _Hush now, I know it hurts_

 _But Ravenclaw is here to help you_

 _She will cure you_

 _Swathe and hold you_

 _Don't despair, my love._

 _Hush now, I know you're wandering_

 _But Hufflepuff is here to find you_

 _She will help you_

 _Create and love you_

 _Don't cry now, my love._

 _Hush now, I know you're scared_

 _But Gryffindor is here to save you_

 _He will know you_

 _Build and warm you_

 _Don't delay, my love._

 _Hush now, I know you're wondering_

 _But Slytherin is here to fix you_

 _He won't fear you_

 _Mend or move you_

 _Do take care, my love._

I hadn't noticed the tears building in my eyes as I sang, realising that my family had not favoured one particular house before my parents; they had all been Slytherins, and so they were loyal to that house, but would not have minded where their children were sent. It was just my mother and father who hated all those who were not in Slytherin; now that included me. I hadn't realised it up until that moment. Subtle hints throughout my childhood about how they were so proud of Bellatrix, Narcissa. Somewhere in my mind, I registered that Remus had taken my hand, and was massaging it lightly, muttering something to me. I heard myself say something about going to find James, and walked out of the door, trying to ignore the look of hurt of Remus' face.

James

Ah. What beauty, what wonder. Red hair, blue eyes, bright smile, beautiful laugh. Lily Evans. _Dude, you're eleven years old, get a grip._ Oh, what it was like to be in love! _Really? You have literally just seen her from across the grounds._ My happy thoughts were interrupted when a haggard Sirius ran out of the building, looking around with unseeing eyes, before somehow seeing me without really seeing me. He ran towards me, and I fully expected him to stop in front of me, but he just ran right into me, bowling both of us over. I stood him up, studying him.

"I'm… I'm scared, James." He said once we'd sat down on a bench amongst the trees, his voice cracking.

"Of what?" I whispered, eyes wide.

"Of home." He breathed, looking up at me with terrified eyes. He shook his head, eyes shut tight as if he was shaking a thought from his head. "No, not home. This is home now. I'm scared… scared of… of my family, James. Well, not them specifically, but they're reactions to… to me being in… not being in…" He trailed off, his eyes still shut against what he didn't want to see. I was speechless. I knew that the Black family was known to be a Slytherin family, but I hadn't realised how iterative it was that each and every one of them was sorted there. Sirius looked truly frightened, and I felt for him.

"The hat was right, Sirius." His eyes opened, and fresh tears seemed to swirl in them. "You are definitely a Gryffindor. I know that your family may not be proud of you for it, but your Hogwarts family is." His arms were around me, squeezing me tightly. As quickly as he had embraced me, he let me go, looking at his feet, flushed. I laughed, slapping him on the shoulder, and he joined in, relief evident on his face. Heading off to Transfiguration, we laughed and talked about sweet nothings. I confessed to him my deep love for Lily Evans - _you really are a stubborn one, aren't you? -_ and he told me all about the pranks he was planning.

I had found a true friend in Sirius Black; I knew then that I could trust him with anything, and he would never betray me.


	5. Chapter 5

The Moon and Star

Chapter Five

Remus

I was up and running again within the week, and was eager to return to my lessons and friends. I mean, I was worried about what I was going to tell them if they asked about it; they always did, and I was just about out of excuses. _Maybe… maybe I should just tell them this time._

I walked into the Gryffindor common room, and was immediately shocked by Sirius screaming "LUP _IN_!", and hurling himself at me with a rib-crushing hug. I laughed, hugging him back, and walked over to where James and Peter were sitting next to the fire.

"Look who's back!" He exclaimed, joy lighting up his face. I laughed happily alongside James and Peter as they welcomed me.

"What's with the 'Lup _in_ ', eh, Sirius?" Peter asked, grinning.

"You'll see." he chuckled, shaking his head. He quickly sombre though, and the mood between the four of us changed. "Let's… let's go to the dorm."

We hastily sat on our respective beds, eager to hear what was troubling him. He paced in front of us all, frowning.

"I think this has gone on long enough." He said ventrally, and my blood ran cold.

"What… what's going on, Sirius?" James asked warily. Sirius took a deep breath.

"Well, that's just what I want to know. Remus… what's going on with you? Where have you been going every month? What have you been doing?" I slowly expelled the breath I'd been holding, closing my eyes. I knew it had been coming; I had just been putting it in the back of my mind.

"I…" Sirius tensed, his eyes wide as I began, "I go to the… the Shrieking Shack-"

"The Shrieking Shack? As in the most haunted building in Britain?" James interrupted, awe written all over his face. Peter and Sirius simultaneously shushed him, and they all turned back to me.

"Well, it certainly is haunted now," I laughed mirthlessly, my heart cold, "I go there to… transform." _There. You said it. Well, just about._

"To… to transform? Into what?" Sirius whispered, agape.

"A… a… argh, I can't do it! I can't. You'll… you'll hate me, you'll f-fear me, I…" Sirius rushed over to me, and took my face in his hands.

"We would never hate you, Remus. Never." His voice was so sincere, so genuine, that I almost believed him.

"You have to swear not to tell anyone," I breathed, "No one else can know."

"Of course," He said, moving to sit beside me. "James, Peter? You swear it too, right?" They nodded enthusiastically, and I believed them.

"I'm a… I'm a werewolf."

Sirius

"Oh." I said simply, blinking rapidly. _I was not expecting that._ Remus looked at me, desperation and fear in his eyes.

" _Oh?_ Nothing else, just _oh?_ " He said, a flicker of a smile threatening to break onto his face.

"Yes, I… I didn't expect that, but…"

"But?" He shifted in his seat, hope overcoming the fear on his face.

"But it doesn't matter at all to me." I finished boldly, knowing in my heart it was true. Remus finally allowed himself to smile, a small, relieved laugh escaping from his mouth. I glanced at James to see an expression of nonchalance on his face, an Peter was merely smiling kindly at Remus, not at all fazed.

"Y-You're not-"

"What? Scared?" James interjected, chuckling, "Oh, don't be dramatic, mate, not in the slightest. Okay, Remus. See this arm? It's actually shorter than my other arm, but you can't really tell, exempt when I twirl, which I never, EVER, do."

"I'm lactose intolerant." Peter added innocently.

"And I'm _obnoxious,"_ Sirius laughed, "You fold your socks and stack your quills. Forgive me if I'm not trembling at the sight of you."

"You just have a furry little problem," Peter giggled, "And I think I have a solution."

"What?" Remus gasped, disbelief evident in his eyes.

"Yes, um…" Peter avoided eye contact, suddenly self-conscious, "If we all became unregistered animagi then you would never had to go through a full moon alone, Remus." He continued, his eyes flicking to Remus and back to the floor.

"Right. I'm going to see McGonagall." James stood suddenly, and marched out of the door, a determined look on his face and a twinkle in his eye.

James

Peter. Was. A. Genius. I strode off down the corridor with the others scampering behind me, protesting and asking if I was mad. I simply laughed, and decided to keep them in the dark for a little longer. I knew that ever since out very first day, Professor McGonagall had a little soft spot for us four, and I wasn't about to let that pass. I stopped outside her office, and doubt began to peck at me, a small, weedy voice whispering to me.

 _What if she's not as understanding as you think? What if she doesn't know about Remus and gets him kicked out?_

 _Of course she knows about Remus, how else would he have known to use the Shrieking Shack?_ I thought back angrily. I took a deep breath, and knocked bravely on the door.

"Yes?" The brisk Scottish voice of McGonagall called from inside. I pushed the door open to find her with a large book open on her desk, her reading glasses perched on the end of her hooked nose. "What is it, Potter?"

"Professor, how do you become an animagus?" I rushed.

"Hypothetically!" Sirius hissed in my ear.

"Hypothetically." I parroted, mentally slapping myself. McGonagall gave me a knowing look, and replied,

"I cannot tell you that, I'm sorry." My heart sank.

"Oh, I… I understand." I murmured.

"I also cannot tell you that there is a book in the retracted section of the library…" hope built in my chest, "…about becoming and animagus called _True Animagus Transformation._ It is also strictly inappropriate for me to tell you that Filch will be absent this Saturday from one to three o'clock in the morning." I almost laughed in both amusement and relief. A scratching behind me caught my attention, and turned around. Sirius had extracted a quill and a ragged piece of parchment from his bag, and was scribbling furiously. I turned back around and saw McGonagall chuckling quietly, her eyes sparkling. "You boys do understand that I have not told you these things, was they are strictly prohibited, yes?"

"Yes, Professor, we completely understand." I laughed softly, the professor's good-naturedness rubbing off on me. We thanked Professor McGonagall and bounded off back to the dorm, her laughter ringing after us, excitement fuelling our steps. We talked all through the night, planning and scheming, wondering about what our animagus forms would be, what it would be like to be a animal. By the morning, we were closer than ever.


	6. Chapter 6

The Moon and Star

Chapter Six

Remus

"James, you blithering idiot, what were you thinking?" Sirius chastised, pulling pieces of mandrake leaf out of his teeth, "You might not become a full animagus now!" James looked so downhearted, I _almost_ forgave him.

"I… I had to talk to her, Sirius, I had kept my mouth shut with this bloody mandrake for a month now, how was I to know specifically when I could take it out?" We all knew James was completely infatuated with Lily Evans, and we had marked the day they could take the mandrake leaves out of their mouths what seemed like ages ago, but as James said, we hadn't figured out exactly when. James had spat out the leaf and given Lily one of his famous jokes that he had refrained from telling for a month that morning; it was a sure possibility that he wouldn't become a full animagus. Sirius sighed shaking his head.

"Lets just hope you haven't blown it. Okay, we've all got our vials, right?" He looked around checking for Peter's and James'. They each held up a small glass phial containing their soggy mandrake leaves. "Good. You have the dew, Peter?"

"Right here, Sirius!" Peter said enthusiastically, withdrawing a small bottle from his robes, careful to not let it come into contact with the rays of sunlight streaming through the window. Sirius took it cautiously in his hands, and tipped a couple of drops into his phial, handing it to James who did the same.

"You sure you'll be alright tonight, Remus? I mean, we'll have to be out there too for the potion to work, and we might not be back by the time you are…" He trailed off, guilt creasing his brow. I was usually nervous for a full moon, but that night… I was more nervous about my friends being out there as well while I was… while I was a monster. I glanced up to see Sirius looking at me with concern in his eyes. I smiled reassuringly at him, or I thought I did; his frown only deepened, and I sighed internally, and stood up.

"It's… it's nearly time, guys, lets go." I said, wandering towards the dormitory door.

"We could go out before you, Remus, just in case you-"

"Just incase I what?" I exploded, whipping round to glare at Peter, who seemed to shrink in his robes. My fury melted into guilt as I took in his terrified face.

"I… I'm… I'm sorry, Peter, I-"

"It's understandable, Remus. Right, Peter?" James interjected, glancing from me to Peter. The latter nodded enthusiastically, something like pity slicing through his fright. I felt bad for scaring him, but anger rose to the surface; I didn't want his pity, I didn't want any of their pity. I turned sharply and strode out of the room, my wolf nature begging me to hurt them.

Sirius

I have to say, Remus was fairly terrifying in that moment. I knew it wasn't him, that the moon was affecting him horribly, but it didn't stop fear from running down my spine at his harsh glare and aggressive stance. We all visibly relaxed when he left the room, and immense guilt swallowed me. I roughly swiped it from my mind, and followed Remus out, eager to get it over with. Peter quietly shut the door behind James and I, and we headed out into the moonlight. My shoulders tensed as an ear-splitting howl pierced the night; tears welled as I thought of how how much pain Remus would be in. James placed a hand on my shoulder.

"Let's go. The sooner we do this, the sooner we'll be able to help him."

"I know." I muttered. We trudged out into the darkness, grim expressions on out faces. We reached the shade of a large tree and pulled out out vials, studying them for a second.

"And now we wait." James whispered. We sat in silence for what felt like hours, until Peter tapped my arm, pointing. I looked up, and my eyes widened involuntarily. The clouds had cleared, the cold air becoming seemingly colder as a great silver orb emerged, bathing the grounds in light.

"It's time." I whispered. We stood slowly, and each held our vials up to the rays. As soon as the first beam touched each concoction, they began to bubble and spit inside their confines, mixing to become a sickly green colour. It didn't look particularly appetising, I'm not going to lie.

"Alright. Let's go." Peter whispered, nervousness evidently tearing him up. I patted him on the shoulder.

"Come on, Pete." We began to walk quickly back to the castle, when a horrible groaning reached our ears. I froze, terror gripping my heart. _Remus._ I turned and ran as fast as I could in the direction of the sound, hoping with everything I had that he wasn't hurt too badly. I dashed around a tree, deaf to the cries of James and Peter behind me, and sprinted into the clearing ahead of me. I stopped in my tracks, my heart almost stopping alongside my body. Remus lay on his side, naked as they day he was born, deep cuts slicing his back into shreds. I ripped off my coat and laid over him, scared out of my mind. Remus whimpered as the material came into contact with his back, cutting me to the core.

"Come on, Remus, it'll be okay… stand up for me, Remus, help me get you to the castle, alright? Please, Remus…" I begged him to stand, gripping his arms, pulling him up, but he was so weak. "Okay… just try and heal, okay?" I picked him up gently, and wrapped him tightly in my coat. He nestled his scarred face into my neck, and I sighed, resting my cheek on his cold forehead. "You'll be okay, Remus… I'll make sure of it…" I breathed, closing my eyes as tears began to drip into Remus' hair.

"Sirius…" he mumbled, delirious, "Tha' you?"

"Yeah, it's me." I said affectionately.

"Oh… tha's good…" he murmured sleepily, "You know, Sirius… you are the bes… bes' friend I ever… I ever…" he went limp in my arms, snuggling deeper into my chest.

James

Peter and I had given up on looking for Sirius and Remus, and returned to where we had last seen Sirius, hoping he would return there. We weren't waiting long; Sirius came into the light with a tired and battered Remus in his arms. I started towards them, but Sirius shushed me, tilting his head towards Remus. I took the hint, and we all began to walk quietly back to the castle.

By the time we reached the Infirmary, the front of Sirius' white shirt was soaked in Remus' blood, and his coat was beyond repair. I went through the for first in order to hold it open for them, but was shoved aside by a distraught Madam Pomfrey.

"Oh, Remus, what happened this time?" She muttered, motioning for Sirius to place him on the nearest bed. "No, no, dear, turn him over, I need to treat his back!" She chastised, rushing about collecting jars and bottles of who-knows-what. "Right, out you go."

"What?" Sirius was visibly floored, and I felt for him.

"Out." Pomfrey shooed us, and I had to physically drag him away from Remus' side.

We spent the rest of the day in class and trying to figure out when the next storm would be. The sooner we could become animagi, the better. All we had to do was drink the potion during the next storm, and we'd be well on our way. Thankfully for us, the next lightning storm was meant to strike was only the newt week; we wouldn't actually sleep for the next week, but it would be worth it.

"Ready to get up early tomorrow?" Sirius murmured over his Potions essay.

"Hell yeah," I said, "What do we have to say again?"

" _Amato Animo Animato Animagus,_ " Sirius recited, "And don't forget it, James. Every sunrise and sunset until the storm… ugh, why does this have to take so long? So many full moons we could have been there but weren't." His mood visibly soured, and he dove deeper into his homework. I sighed, turning back to the book I was reading ( _Non-Magic Ways to Get a Witch to Like You_ ). I really did feel his pain, though, however little I said about it. I wanted to be there for Remus almost as much as he did, but I guess he always had had a connection to the werewolf neither me nor Peter ever had. Thankfully, the day that we would finally be able to become animagi was nigh, and we could finally be with Remus every transformation.

We strolled down to the Great Hall for dinner, sitting in our usual seats at the centre of the Gryffindor table. Dumbledore stood, and the room quietened.

"The Sorting! Best part of the year, eh, James?" Sirius whispered mischievously. I shushed him, grinning, just as the huge oaken doors creaked open. A stream of nervous first-years shuffled in behind the stern-looking McGonagall, everyone turning to look, chattering. I hadn't bothered to turn, deeming it a pointless waste of energy, but then the entire room went silent. I stilled, then turned slowly. A petite girl of about 15 years of age was striding alongside the youngsters, staring defiantly ahead of her. I liked her immediately. I could tell she was trying not to show that everyone's stares affected her, but I could see that her hands were shaking. Whispers broke out among the students, and the girls full mouth stretched into a thin line. I felt for her; she was at least a head taller than all of the others around her, even though she was quite short for her age. Once all of the newbies had reached the front of the hall, McGonagall stood on the platform and opened her mouth to speak, only to be interrupted by Dumbledore.

"Due to these… special circumstances, Miss Callaghan, please come up to be Sorted." He said, a twinkle in his eyes, as he gestured towards the rickety-looking stool that sat in the centre of the platform. The chestnut-haired girl walked slowly up to the stool, her long hair hiding her face from my view. McGonagall placed the Sorting Hat on her head, and she flinched.

"Oh dear," The hat began, and her face scrunched up, "I have seen only one like _you_ before… you two will become firm friends, I'm sure. However… I cannot place you in the same house, I do not think. Your… condition does not tamper your abilities, or your ambition, which is good to see. You have a cunning little mind, Miss Callaghan, and a great mind at that." I suddenly knew what the Hat was going to say, and my heart went out to her. "I believe… SLYTHERIN!"

Wren

I blanched, rising shakily from the stool. I wobbled on my feet so much that Professor McGonagall had to steady me. I have to admit, I didn't know what it meant to be Sorted into Slytherin, but waves of disbelief and sadness wracked my body, and I had no idea where they came from. My eyes locked with the tall Gryffindor I had spotted earlier, and my emotions went haywire. I suddenly knew that he was the one the Hat had spoken of.

I wandered over to the Slytherin table, and sat unsteadily next to a raven-haired boy of about my age, who smiled shyly at me. I faked a small smile, and his gaze turned from timidity to pity. My heart steeled, and I dropped my eyes to the table in front of me. If there was one thing I despised, it was pity.

I barely touched any of the aromatic feast, and ran from the room once dismissed. I won't lie to you; I was terrified. Terrified of the people, the strange environment, the foreign lifestyle I was forced into. I hadn't been orphaned long. In fact, the very day my entire family was eliminated from the game of life, Dumbledore came to me where I hid in a cluster of garbage disposal canisters. He lured me out in the promise of a home, an education, and a safe place to… to be myself. _Well, not quite myself. More what I was forced to be._

I dashed into an empty corridor, my breath coming in ragged gasps as tears threatened to escape. My back slid down the wall as I gave up on trying to be strong. I buried my head in my arms, and let go. I sat there sobbing for what felt like seconds before a small hand on my shoulder startled me into looking up into the kindest eyes I'd ever seen.

"You can call me Moony," He said decidedly, yet softly, his kind voice penetrating my despair. "What may I call you?"

"My… my name's Wren," I mumbled, "I-I can see why they call you Moony." My fingers involuntarily began to trace the scars around his right eye, snatching my hand away when he flinched.

"Sorry… those are still a little fresh," He smiled, helping me onto my feet. "Care to meet the gang?"

"The name's Black, Sirius Black. How'd you do?" The boy standing before me was a little shorter than Moony, with long black hair, and a twinkle in his blue eyes. He bowed and kissed my hand, making my giggle into the other.

"I'm James, nice to meet you." Another dark-haired boy greeted me, shaking my hand. He had a mischievous glint in his eye, that I decided was in no way malicious, and would never be. His glasses were a little askew, and I had the feeling he didn't eve know what a hairbrush was.

"I'm… I'm Peter," The short, sandy-haired boy who had been cowering behind Sirius stepped forward, a shy smile on his sweet face, " Lovely to meet you." He gave me a small wave, and scurried behind James. I laughed good-naturedly.

"It's lovely to meet you too, Peter. James, Sirius, Moony told me a little about you on our way over here." I glanced around me, still in awe of the Gryffindor common room, with it's warmth and brightness. Sirius suddenly word with laughter, making me jump.

"Moony? Oh, I love it, I really do, mate. Nice imagination, very original." Moony looked sheepish, grinning through his blush.

"Yeah, you know, I could have always gone with Wolfy, so honestly, its not that bad." He laughed. Sirius went quiet, and they all stared at me, wide-eyed. Remus chuckled, patting me on the shoulder.

"She knows, guys, she knows… but, I think you should know _how_ she knows," he said, looking pointedly at me. "Wren?" I suddenly caught his meaning. I took a step away from him, dread rising in my stomach.

"No, no, Moony, I can't, please, please don't make me!" My heart was racing, and I felt as if I couldn't breathe. Chills ran down my spine as realised what he was asking me to do. I had never told anyone before, never said it out loud. The people who knew only knew because… well, not because I told them. Sirius' voice found my ears, almost silent against the thundering of my heart.

"She's having a panic attack, we need to sit her down," he was saying, handing guiding me to a chair. I sat heavily, and Remus was crouched beside me, his face clearing the fog that was coding my vision.

"I'm so sorry, Wren, I'm so, so sorry," he said, his blue eyes piercing my terror, "Do you want me to tell them instead?" I was vaguely aware of my head nodding, and all four of them walking slowly away, glancing worriedly back at me every few seconds. It felt like hours until they came back over to me, Peter and James standing either side of me, Remus and Sirius in front.

"We vow to protect you, and be with you whenever you need us, just like we did for Remus," Sirius whispered, not wanting to startle me, "I swear to you that you will always be safe with us."


	7. Chapter 7

The Moon and Star

Chapter Seven

Remus

I knew it was going to be a while before Wren was truly comfortable around us… or them at least. I felt as if we had bonded over our… similarities. At least it was going to be a while before the next full moon; then, we would find out who Wren Callaghan really was, and how dangerous she could be. The real question, however, was if she would become… our fifth Marauder.

"Right then," Sirius began, "Who's first?" We stood in a circle in the deserted common room, Sirius in the centre. His long black hair was darker and messier than ever, making me want to run my fingers through it, to feel it… _focus, man! Honestly._ My annoying inner voice was right, and I mentally shook myself.

"Me." A surprisingly defiant voice rose from the corner.

"Uh… sure, come on up, Peter." Sirius smiled, recovering quickly from his initial shock. Peter stood, striding into the centre.

"Right," Sirius began, "What we need to do is make an exemption so strong that you'll just… kind of _pop_ into an animal, you know?" James sniggered, but Peter nodded seriously. "Alright… how about fear?"

Long story short, we spent the next hour basically trying to scare Peter so much he'd change, but to no avail. We gave up in the end, stomachs growling, figuring that it would happen when the right moment presented itself.

Sirius

"That went well," I said miserably as I picked at my mashed potato. I knew I should eat, but I just had this dejected feeling that was… inconsolable.

"Eat," Remus smiled at me, "You'll feel better." I returned his smile, even if it was a little weak, and began to properly dig into my food. When I glanced back at Remus, he was gazing almost wistfully at me, but hurriedly looked away when I looked at him. I grinned, pulling his gaze back to mine with a finger under his chin.

"Chin up, Moony," I said softly, "I don't mind if you stare at me." He blushed, dropping his gaze. I knew this was my chance but… I was still an insecure little boy when it came to relationships… any kind of relationship really. I was just that selfish person who couldn't handle any more rejection, even if I was used to it. "Hey, don't worry, I know I'm fabulous." I laughed, taking my hand from his face. He laughed an almost genuine laugh, but I could hear the sadness behind it. I suddenly realised… _he knows me._ He knew why I couldn't be sincere around anyone, not really, because I didn't want them to have any emotional ammunition to use against me. I'm sure I wasn't the only person Moony had met who felt that way, but with me… it was different. I could tell that he really didn't want me to feel that way, but I couldn't help myself. You can't just erase an entire childhood because one person believed in you.

First Quidditch match of the season; the one everyone had been waiting for. Gryffindor versus Slytherin. Everyone gathered in the stands while the teams prepared themselves, excited voices ringing out. I sat myself down next to Marlene and Dorcas, who were sat _very_ close to each other. I mentally shipped them, I'm not going to lie. Remus sat next to me, his Gryffindor scarf tied around his scarred neck. I sighed internally, knowing the pain he had unknowingly caused himself. My attention was soon turned to the match, as the players zoomed onto the pitch, the cheering almost deafening. Soon, I was caught up in the excitement of the game, cheering and whooping along with the rest of the crowd. Halfway through, it was 60-40 to Slytherin, and we were all feeling a little downhearted, but hadn't lost hope all the same. I had lost sigh of James a few minutes before, and wished he had seen the Snitch. If he didn't catch it sooner or later, I imagined the game wouldn't turn out in our favour. It was nearly the end of the game; 80-50 to Slytherin. Most of us Gryffindors had given up on the match, but Remus and I were silently begging James to fly in out of nowhere with the Snitch in his hand. There were a mere thirty seconds left; I covered my eyes with my hands.

James

It was tantalisingly close, just beyond my fingertips. In the corner of my eye, Wren lifted her bat, zooming towards me. I felt her hand graze my face as she beat away the Bludger that had been so close to breaking my jaw. I made a split-second decision to thank her later as I took a chance, and launched myself off my broom, feeling the cool metal underneath my fingertips. I rolling on the floor, landing sprawled on my back. I opened my hand; there sat the Golden Snitch in all it's glory.

"And James Potter has caught the Snitch! Gryffindor wins!"

I was celebrating with my fellow Marauders, practically bounding down the corridor to get to the common room. On our way there, I spotted Wren sitting alone, still in her Slytherin Quidditch uniform, her nose buried in her book.

"Hey, Wren?" I said, stopping before her. She looked up at me, her eyes wide. "Thanks for what you did back there, you… you must have got some grief for that. You basically saved the match for us." The realisation hit me as my eyes wandered to her cheek, where a red mark was blossoming. She nodded shyly, looking away.

"Yeah, they… they weren't too happy with me, to say the least." She smiled, but her eyes held no mirth. I took her hand in mine.

"Thank you." I whispered. A crash startled me, and I let go of Wren's hand. Lily Evans stood just along the corridor, her face a picture of rage and jealousy. The door she had presumably just come out of looked a little worse for wear, it's hinges screeching in protest at the weight of it. I guessed she was so angry at something, she had slammed in in her exit. I frowned; _what would make her do that?_ She glared at me, and stormed off in the opposite direction.

"What's got into _her?"_ Sirius asked, bewildered.

My reply was cut short as an ugly trio of Ravenclaw boys strolled arrogantly past us, and something in their conversation made Wren's head snap up.

"She's such a nerd, always carrying a book around, she's not even clever." The largest of them sniggered, glancing at her maliciously.

"Hey guys, sorry to interrupt," I tensed as Wren sauntered over to the group, a smirk on her face. "Couldn't help but overhead your little conversation there. I mean, no one here is that nerdy, right? But, you know, you could be talking about a friend of mine, so uh… you see, I tend to polish my wand a lot, a girl gotta keep her wand clean, you know? We have Transfiguration together, right?" The three nodded hesitantly, clearly confused. "Yeah, that tends to make my old wand a little dirty, you see." Wren stepped forward slightly, her eyes suddenly cold. "If I was to find you mouthing off about me or one of my friends, my hand could just… slip… who knows what would happen then?" She winked, somehow making it threatening. Wren was significantly smaller than the three boys, but did that stop them from shaking in their boots? Hell no, it did not. They were frankly tripping over themselves to get away from her, terror in their eyes. I was truly in awe of her in that moment, until a frantic tapping on my arm distracted me. Sirius was standing there, wide eyed with a huge grin on his face.

"It's her!" He breathed, too excited to do anything else but just stand there.

"What's her?" I rubbed my arm where he had been backhanding me before.

"The fifth Marauder, James," He muttered madly, "Our fifth!" A fog cleared in my mind, and his ravings didn't seem quite so mad. Five was my lucky number, after all.

Wren

"You're _what_?" I was possibly the most bewildered I had ever been in my life. Sirius sighed; he'd probably gone through this before for the others.

"Marauders," James repeated for him, "And we want you to be our fifth."

"So, we're like a little family inside the supposed 'Hogwarts family'." Peter piped up, only to receive a withering look from Sirius, causing him to…

"AAARRRRRGGGGHHH!" I shrieked, stumbling back, almost falling over my own feet. "Why is Peter a _mouse?"_

"He's not a mouse," James said, looking vaguely offended, "He's a …rat, by the looks of it. Congrats, mate!"

"Oh, of course, how silly of me." I glared at him, composing myself. I had seen weirder, after all. James grinned at Sirius, and his former joyful glow returned.

"Peter's kind of right, though," Sirius said, "We are like a little family." I had no idea _what_ I was doing, but all of a sudden, I was squeezing him in my arms, and my tear ducts were threatening to ruin my makeup. Sirius laughed lightly, and hugged me back. I felt James step up behind me, joining in the hug, alongside Remus and a now human Peter, who was grinning almost madly. We were all crushed together, laughing in our little group hug. I realised then that these boys would be my family from then on, and wouldn't take that for granted… as many others had done before.


	8. Chapter 8

The Moon and Star

Chapter Eight

Remus

"An inter-house exchange, shall we call it." Dumbledore's voice boomed through the Great Hall. "Two students from each house shall move to another for one week, joining their lessons and sharing their dormitories. Now, Professor McGonagall, if you will." McGonagall stood from her position at the professor's table, and pulled a scroll from her robes.

"Firstly, Lily Evans and Frank Longbottom, please move to the Hufflepuff table." I watched as the redhead stood and stomped across to the table, flashing pleading looks at both me and James. I shrugged at her, smiling ruefully.

"Severus Snape and Wren Callaghan, please be seated at the Gryffindor table." She said, a grim expression on her face. I blanched as Wren walked slowly over to us, her face nonchalant but her eyes terrified. I feared that what she was so scared of, what what petrified me as well. _What if we're near to each other… at the next full moon?_

"Alright, boys…sorry, _team,_ " Gryffindor's Quidditch captain smirked. Wren, the team's only girl, glared at him, her hand tightening around the handle of her broom. "I know we have a bit of a change in players, but so will Slytherin. Callaghan, I'm trusting you to not mess this up for us, just because you played for them, okay?" He glowered at her from under his thick eyebrows, but she met his stare head-on, not flinching for a second. "James, do what you always do, alright, mate?" James nodded, already focused. "Alright, team, let's go!" I sneaked out of the room (technically I wasn't supposed to be there) and went to find Sirius. When I got to the Gryffindor stand, he was already incoherently screaming his head off. Something about the Snitch… the Slytherin keeper and…

"Sirius!" I chastised, "You can't say that! You know very well it wouldn't fit up there." He sniggered, and I promptly rolled my eyes at him, turning my attention to the two teams flying onto the pitch. James took his position above the box in the centre of the pitch, and Wren hovered behind the captain, gripping her bat menacingly. She was the only female Beater in any of the houses, and was by far the best of them. The Quaffle was launched into the air, and the game began.

"Wren, you are a legend!" Sirius yelled, hugging her roughly. Wren laughed, patting him on the back.

"It was fun to play against them for once." She said, her smile dropping slowly.

"What do you mean?" James asked warily.

"Oh, nothing I just…" Wren froze, her face a picture of horror. My heart dropped. I slowly turned my head to the window, fearing the worse. Out through the clouds appeared a silver orb of death and destruction; the bane of ours lives.

"Run." I whispered. Sirius grabbed James and Peter by the elbow, sprinting deep into the castle. I gazed at Wren, hoping to comfort her.

"You need to go," She screamed suddenly, "We can't both stay! Please, Moony, trust me!" I looked into her deep ocean eyes, and knew we couldn't stay where we were without… I dashed past her, and felt a rush of air as she sprinted in the opposite direction. I knew the second her feet hit the grass, as a deafening howl split the air, and I resisted running to her as a thump echoed through the corridor. I dodged the streams of moonlight flittering through the stone windows until I believed I was far enough away. I rounded the corner, and was doused in moonlight. I felt myself dripping away as my muscles tensed and my vision blurred, but not before I caught the terrified face of Severus Snape.

Sirius

James, Peter and I sat rigidly in the common room, eager to help out our friends. I glanced at the clock; _5:48. They should be back soon._ I sprang up, unable to sit still any longer. The door opened silently, and my eyes widened. Remus crept in, shutting the door with a small click. He turned away from the door, and jumped at the sight of us standing there.

"You guys been up all night?" He asked wearily, running a hand over his face.

"Yeah," James admitted, "We were worried, I mean… this is your first time with another werewolf around,you know?"

"Thank guys, but I'm really tired. Let me know how Wren is?" He stumbled forward and I caught him in my arms, worry for him clouding my mind.

"Of course," I whispered, helping him to the stairs, "I'll tell you in the morning."

I wandered back down the stairs, sitting heavily in the chair by the fire. "What if she's not okay?" I muttered, mostly to myself. I looked up as the door opened, anxious to see if Wren was unharmed. The door creaked open, and the silhouette of Wren casted an eery shadow in the doorway.

"Wren?" James crept towards her, concern lacing his voice. He stilled as she took a single step forward, a ray of light hitting her face. Her eyes were hooded, a fresh cut still bloody on her cheek. She looked up and her eyes met mine, and I knew something was disastrously wrong.

"Remus got back okay?" She murmured.

"Yeah, yeah, he did." James closed the distance between them, embracing her tightly. Wren raised her arms, and her pale hands came into the light. I gasped, horror widening my eyes. Her hands were coated in crimson blood, but there were no cuts that I could see.

"What happened?" I breathed. James took a step back, and sucked in a breath.

"I don't remember exactly, but… there was something, or someone there, and… I remember the feeling of their flesh in my teeth, and their blood on my claws…" She gasped and sank to the floor, sobbing. James crouched in front of her as I rushed over to them.

"Hey, hey, hey, it'll be alright. Do you remember whereabouts this was?" His voice was almost patronising, but it seemed to soothe Wren.

"I… I could feel grass under my feet, but it was… it was…"

"What? What was it?" I felt as if I was pushing her and hated myself for it, but we had to try and find whatever it was she had injured.

"It was completely dry," she whispered, eyes wide, "It's raining outside, Pads. The ground I stood on was bone dry, a little crumbly at that. They were… wandering across the space, unaware of me. I… I don't think it was human, but I'm just so glad it wasn't Moony." She was slowly getting her act together, and we really had to get moving. I pulled her to her feet, smiling reassuringly.

"Let's go."

James

"Oh, Merlin," I breathed. Lying on the grass under the cover of a huge fir tree was none other than Snivellus, the little grey-haired Slytherin we'd been… tormenting, basically, for the last year or so. It was mainly just Sirius and I, just for a bit of fun, you know, but it seemed we weren't completely heartless towards him.

We ran to his side, franticly checking him over. He had a deep cut along his abdomen, and his pale face had a blue tinge to it.

"He doesn't look good," I muttered, "Let's take him to Madam Pomfrey." Sirius nodded without a word, and we hauled him up, taking his small frame in our arms. Wren walked with unfocused eyes next to me, tripping over her own feet every so often. After depositing Snape with a concerned Madam Pomfrey, we went back to the dormitory, anxious to tell Remus what had happened. I shoved open the door, my mouth already half open, when I walked smack bang into Remus as he buried out of the dorm.

"What's wrong?" I asked, brow creased in a frown.

"Wren. Where is she?" He pushed past me, only relaxing once his arms were around her. He sighed, releasing Wren.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah… if a little traumatised." She half-joked, her eyes still a little dead, the ghost of a smile on her pale lips. "We… we need to find Lily." She said vaguely, wandering off in the direction of the door. I have to admit, my heart leapt a little at the sound of her name, but I had to say, Lily had been acting a little strangely. Every time she had seen us with Wren, her face had tuned cold, boarding on malicious, and she stalked away, not meeting my eyes. I had no idea what brought on this crazy behaviour. It couldn't be that… _no. She's not… jealous, is she?_

We strode down to the edge of the forest, just by the little hut that stood there. Lily looked as if she was on fire in the morning light, her bright hair flowing over her shoulders. Her back was to us, but I could tell she was furious. She whipped around, and strode towards us, her delicate feet gaining her a surprising amount of ground in a mere few seconds. She stopped in front of Wren, but she was, in fact, only gathering momentum.

Lily slapped Wren right across the face, fire in her eyes. Wren's head snapped to the side, but she didn't react any more than that. She calmly turned her head, hiding her blazing cheek in her hair.

"What are you doing?" Lily panted.

"Offering you the other cheek." Wren smiled, her tone just as calm as her demeanour. Lily hesitated, but her fire was quickly reignited. Her hand was a blur as she slapped Wren once more. She took a step back, taking a deep breath, calming herself.

"I get it, Lily." Wren said softly, "I intruded. These are your boys. I'll leave you in peace." She turned, and walked off into the forest with nothing but the clothes on her back. Her wand lay, discarded, on the floor. I was stunned, my feet rooted to the ground. Sirius was frozen, until his eyes suddenly cleared. He sprung to life, running after Wren, horror in his face and his voice as he desperately called her name. Remus stood, too horror-struck to move. Lily walked serenely up to me, giving me her best puppy-dog eyes.

"You think I did the right thing, don't you, James?" She asked, her hands resting on the back of my neck, "She was taking you away from me, and I… wasn't okay with that." She stared into my eyes, and I positively melted. This was all I'd ever wanted to hear from her.

"Don't listen to her, Prongs." Remus was behind me, warnings in his eyes, alongside something I hadn't seen before. _Hate._ "The little bitch knows you're in love with her, and will do anything for you to be on her side. She's manipulative, and frankly, she's… let's go, James." His eyes turned from merely warning to murderous as he stalked into the forest. I gazed after him, undecided. On one hand, it was my free best friends in the world running off into the Forbidden Forest, and on the other… the girl I was completely and utterly in love with, telling me she felt the same way, all I had to do was stay there with her. _Three against one._

"I…"

"Yes?" Lily's eyes lit up, and my heart broke.

"I'm sorry, Lily, I…" I gently took her hands from my shoulders, and walked slowly after my friends. My sorrow was so extreme; I couldn't handle it. I broke into a run, my feet thundering the ground. I pushed myself to the limits, until my body could no longer take it as it was. My hooves struck the damp grass, my antlers catching on branches as I galloped through the forest.

Wren

 _You can't cry. Not now._ I mentally reprimanded myself as I walked through the forest, my cheeks on fire. I knew what I had done wrong, and hoped they would see it too. _Do you really wish that? That your best friends would leave you for her?_ The dam was broken, and I sank to the ground, my body wracked with sobs. My deranged head invented a fantasy that Sirius was calling my name, searching for me.

"Stop it…" I cried, "Stop torturing me!" I screamed into the night, clawing at my head. Rough hands pulled at my arms, wrenching them from my face. I shut my eyes tightly, unwilling to see what had come to kill me.

"Open your eyes." It wasn't a fantasy. I peeled my tear-filled eyes open to see Sirius crouching in front of me, my hands in his. I was so ready to stand with him, to go back and find the others, but Lily's terrible stare burning my soul kept me down. I shook my head, even as Sirius wiped my face with his thumb, tears of his own glistening in his eyes.

"Please," His voice cracked as he begged, "Please, Wren."

"I'm here, Wren." Remus' face swam into view, "Can you stand for me?" I finally focused on his eyes, and it felt as if liquid gold was pouring into my scorched soul, soothing me, coaxing me. Remus steadied me as I stood, my knees weak. A huge stag trotted up to us, nudging my face with his muzzle. I wrapped an arm around his neck, and whispered in his ear as we wandered back to the castle,

"Thanks, Prongs."


	9. Chapter 9

The Moon and Star

Chapter Nine

Remus

Hogwarts was bathed in white as we strolled through Hogsmeade, our eyes happy as we filled the streets with laughter. It was a week after the last full moon, and our spirits were high. I had been a little bashed up, but Wren had been okay this time, making it okay for me. Wren held onto my arm as we walked, concern cutting through her joy. I smiled at her, reassuring her. I didn't mind as much when I was injured anymore; all I thought when I woke up riddled with cuts was… _at least it wasn't Wren._

Sombre thoughts aside, we stumbled, laughing, into The Three Broomsticks. Heads turned as we collapsed into a booth, causing so much raucous that a waiter ran over to shush us, his face nervous. We calmed long enough to order five butterbeers, before Sirius made some joke or other that made us fall about laughing. My eyes cleared to see him sat there opposite me, laughing heartedly. His eyes crinkled at the edges, his mouth wide in mirth, showing off his perfect white teeth. Suddenly, all I could see was him; everything else faded from view as I watched him. His eyes met mine, and I sucked in a breath, dropping my gaze. I forced a laugh, looking anywhere but him. Our butterbeers came, granting me the perfect excuse to focus on something other than him.

We teetered and tripped our way out of the inn, drunk on sheer happiness. Walking slowly back up to the castle, we laughed and joked, talking about sweet nothings. Peter and Wren ended up ahead; Wren was talking animatedly, and Peter was chuckling softly at something she said, and she smiled, giggling with him. They were becoming fast friends, and I loved that Wren was so comfortable around all of us now.

"So Sirius, how does it feel to be the only Marauder who hasn't turned yet?" James teased, nudging him. Sirius laughed, punching him jokily on the shoulder, and I sniggered, though not unkindly.

"Remus, my friend, not you too! You wound me!" Sirius clutched at his heart dramatically, "I can't handle the torture!"

"Ah, shut up, Sirius," James chuckled, "You're a bloody drama queen, you know that?"

"Why, yes, Prongs," He preened, "And I am fabulous!"

Sirius

I loved these visits to Hogsmeade; it gave me a chance to spend some good old-fashioned time with my friends, where we wouldn't necessarily be able to in between lessons.

We were so close to the castle, so close to escaping the cold, when a feminine voice bounced through the trees.

"James?" I sighed, turning slowly. Lily Evans stood behind us, her vibrant hair dusted with snow. James sucked in a breath next to me, and I knew, without a doubt, he was still completely hooked. In all honesty, I didn't hate her, nowhere near. I actually quite liked her. Lily fought for what she wanted, and in this case, it was James. I saw the way she looked at him; she was so jealous that Wren had a relationship with him where she didn't. I knew that Wren forgave her, and that James wouldn't hesitate to let her apologise, but… I had the feeling Moony wouldn't be quite so merciful. My heart softened at the thought of him; it felt as if my insides were marshmallows as I thought of how fiercely he had defended his friends, where he was usually quiet and reserved.

"James, I-"

"It's okay, Lily. I forgive you." Lily's face lit up in a smile, and James' eyes melted, and he looked as if he'd been administered a love potion… which, in a way, he had. "However… I don't know if my friends do, and that's… that's kind of the make or break here." He said sadly, his eyes downcast. Lily blanched, but then nodded.

"Sirius? You… you see how I-"

"Yes, I see it," I said tensely. "I forgive you." I couldn't bring myself to look at Remus, who I could feel was glaring daggers at my back. I steeled myself and turned to look at him, and was shocked to see him looking at me in resign, his eyes glistening.

"Peter, Remus?" The former nodded readily, smiling at Lily. She grinned back at him, stepping towards us. Remus took one small step back, but that was all that was needed to stall Lily in her advances. She stopped, her face falling.

"I… I forgive you." Remus whispered, before turning on his heel and stalking back to the castle. I was shocked; I truly expected him to throw it all in her face and hold the whole thing against her for the rest of his life, but… I guess something changed his mind. _(I wasn't about to admit I was wrong… there had to be some sort of explanation, am I right?)_ I was stunned, but found myself muttering something to my friends, and running after him, terrified.

I found him slumped against the wall of a deserted corridor, his back shaking as he wept. I skidded to a halt, my eyes wide. I had never seen Remus cry before; sure, I had seen him break down, scream, shout but… never cry. I walked slowly towards him, a chink of my heart chipping off with every sob.

"Hey, Moony?" I whispered. Remus didn't turn around, but stilled suddenly. I ran to him, enveloping him in my arms. "No, no, Remus, cry… please, as much as it breaks me to see it, cry. Let it all out. I'm here, Moony…" His wiry frame shook in my embrace as he slowly wrapped his arms around my waist. I clutched him tighter to me, my eyes squeezed tightly shut.

James

Sirius sprinted after Remus, calling his name.

"Padfoot!" I yelled, but he didn't turn back. I hadn't expected him to, anyway. Indecision tore at me; my gaze flittered between my best friends and the girl I loved. A strange sense of deja vu washed over me, and I shook my head, ridding my mind of thoughts of that day.

"They forgave me, James," Lily whispered, stepping towards me. "Do… do you think…"

"Yes…" I breathed, "I think we can." I smiled lovingly at her, and her face lit up in a radiant grin. "Lily Evans, will you go out with me?" _There, you finally said it._

"If your friends are okay with it… I would love to go out with you, James Potter." I laughed out of pure joy, and Lily joined in, throwing her hair back, her fiery hair dancing in the wind. _Man, are you in love._

I couldn't find them anywhere. Lily and I had parted ways after she went to bed, but when I had gone to the dorm to find the others, all I found was a worried Peter lying on his bed, still fully dressed in the late hour. Wren was sat beside him, her face tired, her eyes bruised. I dashed out of the room, terror gripping my heart. I ran through countless corridors, down limitless staircases, but Sirius and Remus were nowhere to be seen. I shouted there names, hope diminishing each time no void but my own echoed back to me. After hours of frantic searching, I gave up. I wasn't proud of it by any means, but I gave up. Back leaning against a wall, I buried my face in my hands, silent tears threatening to slip from my eyes. I was preparing myself to return to the dorm and continue searching the next day, when a sweet sound reached my ears. I looked up, a frown involuntarily finding a place on my brow. Sirius and Remus rounded the corner, Sirius laughing joyously at something Remus had said. Sirius' arm was around Remus' waist, and Remus was resting his head on his shoulder. I grinned, and mentally shrugged. _What good friends they are._

Wren

I stayed with Peter through the night, comforting him. He was a shy one, that was for sure, but once he opened up… he was a sweetheart inside. He told me about how he was so grateful to his friends for taking him in where he felt he had nothing to offer them; Sirius and James were trouble-makers, the founders of the group; Remus, the quiet yet witty one with a dark secret; all he was was a small boy with nothing to give. At least thats what he thought. I knew that he guys didn't give him much credit, but… they knew, really, that they wouldn't be the Marauders without Peter. I stayed with him even as he fitfully slept, and smiled when he woke.

"Hey, Pete." I whispered.

"Are they back?" He croaked, his sweet eyes worried. My smile seemed to drift from my face, and I looked down at my hands clenched in my lap.

"No," I muttered. "I'm sorry, Peter. I'm sure they'll be at breakfast."

I faced the wall as he changed into clean robes, and we headed down to the Great Hall, not speaking too much. I could tell he was trying to hold it together for me, just as I was for him, but failing just as miserably as I was. I looked up into his blue eyes as he pushed open the door, and he smiled down at me.

"Thanks for being an amazing friend to me, Wren," He whispered, "You don't know how much this means to me."

"I have the feeling that I know a little better than you think." I grinned, and pushed open the door. Lo and behold, Sirius and Remus sat opposite James, their shoulders pressed together they were so close. They were laughing; happy.

Peter ran to them, beaming as he sat beside James. He began talking animatedly, his smiled never wavering. Sirius' face drew my attention. He wasn't looking at Peter as the others were; his gaze was firmly on Remus.


End file.
